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In last night’s State of the Union address, President Barack Obama stood by the vision for high-speed rail in the United States he first proposed nearly two years ago, saying his goal is to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years.

“This could allow you to go places in half the time it takes to travel by car,” he said. “For some trips, it will be faster than flying — without the pat-down. As we speak, routes in California and the Midwest are already under way.”

In addition, Obama called for redoubling the efforts undertaken the past two years to rebuild the country’s infrastrucutre.

Since the address, HSRupdates.com has received a comments from industry associations, agencies and members of Congress weighing in on Obama’s mention of the importance of rail. Here are a few:

California High Speed Rail Authority Chief Executive Officer Roelof van Ark:
“President Obama’s pledge to redouble infrastructure investment is the exact sign the private sector needs to have confidence that the United States is in for the long haul of developing high-speed rail here. Californians are already doing their part to invest in and develop a fast, clean and low-cost transportation system here, and we are happy to have the partnership of our federal government and congressional delegation. California is well on its way to beginning construction of our high-speed train system next year — to creating jobs in the near term and continued economic strength in the long term.”

Midwest High Speed Rail Association Executive Director Rick Harnish:
“We applaud the President for establishing this bold and visionary goal. High-speed trains are a critical investment in our future. As we have seen in the past year, achieving the President's goal will not be easy. We are looking forward to working with the President to create a bold vision for high-speed rail in the Midwest and helping to identify innovative ways to finance this critical asset.”

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica:
“After the Administration derailed a major six-year transportation bill in 2009, it is encouraging that they are now on board with getting infrastructure projects and jobs moving again. However, just another proposal to spend more of the taxpayers’ money, when we have billions of dollars sitting idle tied up in government red tape, will never get our economic car out of the ditch. We’ve got to do more with less to improve our infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner.”

Association of American Railroads President and Chief Executive Officer Edward Hamberger:
“We applaud the president’s recognition of the role private investments have in sustaining the health of our national transportation infrastructure. It has been the $480 billion in private capital spent by America’s freight railroads over the past 30 years that today makes our national freight rail network the envy of the world. These private investments ensure freight rail can connect businesses to the global marketplace, thereby sustaining vital jobs all across the country, while providing the literal foundation for increased intercity passenger and high-speed rail.”

Building America’s Future Co-Chairman and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg:
“The President’s call for a renewed focus on infrastructure investment — including high-speed rail — is critically important to keeping American competitive in the 21st century. We look forward to working with the White House — and Congressional leaders in both parties — to base our infrastructure investments on economics, not politics.”
   
Environmental Law & Policy Center Executive Director Howard Lerner:
“In Illinois and Michigan, federal investments in high-speed rail are creating construction and supply chain jobs today that will improve and expand transportation options tomorrow. Modern, fast, comfortable and convenient rail development will improve mobility, reduce pollution, create new jobs and spur economic growth.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood:
“President Obama understands that in order to win the future and grow America’s economy over the long term, we must modernize and rebuild our national transportation network. In his State of the Union speech, the President underscored the importance of investing in a 21st century infrastructure system that will generate jobs for Americans now and pay dividends to future generations by equipping them to compete with countries across the globe. The Department of Transportation stands ready to embark on President Obama’s bold course of action to secure America’s future prosperity.”